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TU scraps National Medical College affiliation

The building of the controversial Kathmandu National Medical College in Ghattekulo.

Sep 7, 2017-The Tribhuvan University (TU) has scrapped the affiliation of Kathmandu National Medical College.

The TU decision to scrap the affiliation came after its inspection committee on Wednesday found the medical college, established in a residential apartment in Ghattekulo, empty, without doctors, patients and staff.

The inspection committee led by Sanad Devkota, deputy campus chief of Nepal Law Campus, was formed by the TU last week after it came to the fore that the affiliation was granted to the medical college in a clandestine way despite the fact that it did not meet the basic criteria.

After inspecting the facility, the Devkota-led committee had submitted a report, saying during its inspection it found only a few health workers but no patients and doctors at the facility.

TU Rector Sudha Tripathi confirmed that the earlier decision of granting affiliation to Kathmandu National Medical College had been scrapped.

“The committee also said that the hospital was being run illegally and it did not meet the criteria for running a medical college teaching hospital,” said Tripathi.

There was widespread criticism following reports that the TU Executive Council had decided to grant affiliation to the medical college on July 27, on the fourth day of Dr Govinda KC’s 11th fast-unto-death demanding immediate endorsement of the Health Profession Education (HPE) Bill. One of the provisions of the bill seeks to put a moratorium on establishing new medical colleges in Kathmandu Valley for the next years.

It was also found that a committee led by Dr Nath Yogi, which was formed to study the medical college, had prepared a false report, saying the facility was eligible to get affiliation.

Following a massive uproar over TU’s decision of granting affiliation to the controversial medical college, the varsity on September 3 had put its earlier decision on hold.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, in his capacity as the chancellor of the TU, had also summoned Vice Chancellor Tirtha Raj Khaniya and instructed him to scrap the decision of granting affiliation to Kathmandu National Medical College.

The medical college is an extension of the Birgunj-based National Medical College, owned by Basruddin Ansari, who is the CPN-UML’s mayoral candidate for Birgunj Metropolitan City in the upcoming local elections.

The facility is not registered with the Ministry of Health while it lacks basic infrastructure and human resources to run a medical college.

Dr Govinda KC, who called off his 11th hunger strike after 23 days on August 15, had warned of another fast-unto-death after the TU decision of granting affiliation to the controversial medical college was reported by the media.

After the TU scrapped its affiliation decision to Kathmandu National Medical College, Dr KC once again called for the immediate endorsement of the HPE Bill to pave the way for the formation of an overreaching framework to regulate the medical education sector.

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